Ericsson Elementary School will get security cameras to help curb gang activity
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By Dustin Lemmon | Tuesday, November 27, 2007 |
When students and teachers leave Ericsson Elementary School for the day, the property near the center of Moline’s Floreciente neighborhood tends to attract gang members and occasionally fights.
In recent years there has been a homicide and several nonfatal stabbings and shootings on and near the property, as well as fights, including one this year resulting in serious injuries.
Moline Police Chief Gary Francque said officers have wanted security cameras for monitoring the property for years and almost had a grant to pay for them a few years back.
Now the Moline school district, with help from a grant, hopes to add seven security cameras at Ericsson before the spring to help discourage vandalism and other violence on school grounds.
“It’s something we’ve been after for years down there,” the chief said. “If it deters incidents on their property then it
accomplishes its goal.”
However, police hope the cameras will accomplish more. Francque said the school playground is a frequent meeting spot for gangs.
“There has always been a problem down in that area not only with vandalism, but gang violence,” he said.
Even if the violence doesn’t occur on school grounds, police may find out who was meeting there shortly before or after an incident somewhere else, Francque said.
Earlier this year police recommitted officers to their substation in Floreciente after a rise in gang-related problems. The substation is next to the school.
The Moline Police Department will ask the committee-of-the-whole today for $5,000 to help pay for the cameras. The money will be used in a matching grant, Francque said.
Principal Pat Alexander said adding the cameras is a proactive move.
“We sometimes have some issues in the spring,” she said. “We have not had any lately, but we want to be prepared.”
Alexander said the school rarely has graffiti problems but has had playground equipment damaged in the past.
Darryl Snyder, director of facilities and grounds for the school district, said some of the other schools already have cameras, which they received several years ago with help from grants.
Snyder said the seven cameras will be used to monitor the school, particularly when it is closed.
“Just like any building in this district there is activity on the grounds after hours,” he said. Choosing which schools get cameras “kind of depends on what the situations are.”
Dustin Lemmon can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or dlemmon@qctimes.com.
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